Shallow cup feeder and orienter

ABSTRACT

A feeder for shallow cups, typically milk bottle caps and the like, is disclosed which includes a rotary centrifugal feeder, a pickup plow and tube tangentially mounted to the rotary feeder to deliver the cups generally in rolling configuration but randomly oriented as to the direction of the side walls into a power sorter which sorts the same and separates them so that the oriented cups leave the power sorter in two tracks oriented in the same direction. The power sorter has a pair of driven counter rotating wheels having resilient outer walls, preferentially made of closed cell neoprene. The diverging tracks are made up of a pair of pick up walls which tangentially engage the counter rotating rollers, and an opposed pair of sorter walls which define the two tracks delivering the oriented parts from the counter rotating rollers which respectively divert the path of the caps fed therebetween in the direction of the orientation of the opposed side walls of the cup.

United States Patent [191 Tackett, Jr.

[ Aug. 13, 1974 SHALLOW CUP FEEDER AND ORIENTER [75] Inventor: MarcusTackett, Jr., Indian Rocks Beach, Fla.

[73] Assignee: Tangen Drives, Inc., Clearwater,

Fla.

[22] Filed: Aug. 21, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 282,115

Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Dominik,Knechtel, Godula & Demeur [57] ABSTRACT A feeder for shallow cups,typically milk bottle caps and the like, is disclosed which includes arotary centrifugal feeder, a pickup plow and tube tangentially mountedto the rotary feeder to deliver the cups generally in rollingconfiguration but randomly oriented as to the direction of the sidewalls into a power sorter which sorts the same and separates them sothat the oriented cups leave the power sorter in two tracks oriented inthe same direction. The power sorter has a pair of driven counterrotating wheels having resilient outer walls, preferentially made ofclosed cell neoprene. The diverging tracks are made up of a pair of pickup walls which tangentially engage the counter rotating rollers, and anopposed pair of sorter walls which define the two tracks delivering theoriented parts from the counter rotating rollers which respectivelydivert the path of the caps fed therebetween in the direction of theorientation of the opposed side walls of the cup.

8 Claims, 18 Drawing Figures PATENTED 3.828.921

SHEET 1 [IF 3 FIGI PATENIED mm 31914 'sum 2 or 3 PATENIEBAUB 1 3x914 sumsar s SHALLOW CUP FEEDER AND ORIENTER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1.Field of Invention The invention relates generally to the high speed'feeding and orienting of small parts, and more particularly shallowcups, whether circular in cross section, rectangular in cross section,or having a regular shape side wall pattern. Generally speaking, thediameter of the cup is several times the depth of the depending sidewall.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art is generally exemplifiedin pending patent applications of the applicants assignee, such asGeorge E. Schultz Pat. application Ser. No. 87,906 filed Nov. 9, 1970now US Pat. No. 3,710,924, entitled Cup Orienting and Feeding Device andMethod, and Ser. No. 254,888 filed May 19, 1972, entitled Feeder andDrive Track now abandoned. While the feeder illustrated is a rotary conetype such as disclosed in the two patent applications, the same may alsobe employed usefully with vibratory feeders such as exemplified in US.Pat. Nos. 2,464,216 and 2,609,914.

The prior art has developed various cup shape feeding devices, but theircapacity and speed is limited. The present invention has as itsprincipal object providing a shallow cup feeder and orienter with a highcapacity, in excess of 1,000 pieces per minute. A related object of thepresent invention looks to a high capacity shallow cup feeder andorienter which may be monitored visually in all respects in the courseof its operation, and the feeder portion easily fed from a hopper forthe high capacity feeding of randomly oriented cup shape members intothe feeder itself.

A more detailed object of the present invention looks to a shallow cupfeeder and orienter which includes means for adjusting the same toaccommodate varying sizes of shallow cups. Still another detailed aspectof the present invention looks to the provision of an auxiliaryseparator which assists in the reduction of amounts recirculated in thefeeder, and alternatively assists the pick up means on the feeder inreceiving single cups rather than cups stacked atop each other.

SUMMARY The invention relates to the use of a power sorter for receivingalready partially oriented shallow cups in which the power sorter has apair of opposed counter rotating power driven rollers with resilientside walls. The power sorter is fed by a magazine in which the cups areoriented along one axis, and then the pressure engagement of the opposedrollers is such that the depending side wall portions of the cups willcling to the roller which it faces and its path be diverted as the sameis assisted toward the discharge portion of the power sorter by opposedpick up walls oriented generally tangentially to the power drivenrollers into adjacent discharge tubes which are defined by sorter wallspositioned in opposite disposition to the pick up walls. The means forpicking up the parts from the feeder may include a pneumatic separatorpositioned to blow off cups which stack up atop each other prior todelivery to the magazine for feeding the power sorter. In addition, thespacing between the pick up walls and sorter walls may be adjustablyvaried to accommodate differing sizes of shallow cup-faced members. Incertain applications, it is also desirable to provide grooves in thecentral portion of the counter rotating rollers and complimentary edgeson the pickup walls to assist in positively engaging the orientedshallow cups. Finally, where the cups are to be delivered in parallelcompletely oriented fashion inversion cages are provided at thedischarge end of the power sorter.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Further objects and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent as the following description of anillustrative embodiment proceeds taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shallow cup feeder and orienterparticularly adapted for feeding bottle caps to a printer for imprintingthe tops for the same.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view partially broken illustrating the feeder andthe power sorter.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the power sorter.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are partially diagrammatic enlarged broken sectionsshowing how the power wheels divert the cups depending upon theirorientation.

FIG. 4 is a section of the power sorter taken along section line 44 ofFIG. 3.

FIGS. 5 through 11 inclusive are sequential sectional enlarged partiallydiagrammatic views of the pick up means taken along section lines 5-5;6-6; 7-7; 8-8; 9-9; 10-10; and 11-11; of FIG. 2.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the inversion cage employed at the dischargeportion of the power sorter.

FIG. 13 is an end view of the cage brackets which orient the cage barsof the inversion cage track illustrated in FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a plan view in enlarged scale of the pneumatic separatorwhich is shown in smaller scale on FIG. 2.

FIG. 15 is an end view of the pneumatic separator in same scale as FIG.14.

FIG. 16 is a side view of the pneumatic separator in the same scale asFIGS. 14 and 15 illustrating the blow port of the pneumatic separator.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The shallow cup feeder and orienterl0 illustrative of the present invention is shown in perspective view inFIG. 1 illustrating a typical commercial application where the shallowcups are in fact caps C intended for ultimate usage on top of plasticmilk bottles. In the commercial embodiment shown, the feeder andorienter l0 delivers the caps C to a printer 11 for printing the tops ofthe caps or bottle tops C. The caps can be delivered through the twoinversion cage tracks 50 to the printer 11 at a rate exceeding 1,000 perminute and, indeed, on certain runs speeds as high as 1,400 to 1,500caps per minute completely oriented have been delivered, split betweenthe two inversion cages 50.

' The feeder 10 employs a rotary feeder 15 of the char- In this instancethe caps C are delivered into a hopper 16, much like a chicken feeder,which dumps the caps beneath and onto the rotary cone portion 24 of thefeeder 15. The spiders 18 which support the hopper 16 also serve theadditional function of wiping and maintaining a relatively constantlevel of the caps C inside the feeder l5 and above the rotary coneportion 24. The feeder is supported on top of a base 19, and isgenerally provided with means for tilting the feeder 15 to adjust theflow of the discharge to the sorter feeder tube 22 to an optimum.

In accordance with the invention, the caps are delivered to a sorterfeeder tube 22 or other conveying means vertically oriented, butrandomly sorted as to whether the open end of the cap is facing left orright in the track or tube which forms the sorter feeder tube 22. Theparts then enter the power sorter which is supported by means of asorter bracket 21 and connected to the feeder 15 and its associatedframe 19 in fixed relationship.

As better shown in FIG. 2, the power sorter 20 includes a pair of sorterwheels 40 which are counter r0- tating wheels having a closed cellresilient peripheral surface, preferably formed of neoprene. Turning nowto FIGS. 3, 3A, 3B, it will be seen that as the caps C pass over thepower sorter wheels 40 the open end portion of the caps C clings lightlyto the rotary face of the power sorter wheels 40, and thus are deflectedsomewhat divergingly from the path which they had previously followeddown the sorter feed tube 22 into a direction to which the open end ofthe cap points. As the caps C proceed toward the junction member 45,they are deflected by means of the sorter walls 48 and then proceed downthe delivery chutes defined by the opposed pick up walls 46 and sorterwalls 48. As will be observed, the spaced relationship between the twopick up walls 46 and sorter walls 48 can be adjusted by means of thesorter wall mount 49, and the screws being loosened to move the same ina slide track. This will accommodate caps of varying sizes, and even fora particular cap, permit fine adjustment and tuning of the entire unitprior to lengthy commercial runs. The parts are then delivered to theinversion cage tracks 50, also as illustrated in FIG. 3.

Turning now to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the sorter wheels 40 aredriven by means of a belt drive 41 and wreathed through a plurality ofpulleys 42, the same being powered by an electric motor 44. Desirablythe electric motor 44 has an adjustable speed control so that the feedand delivery rate of the caps C to the pair of inversion cage tracks 50may be controllably adjusted by the speed of the electric motor 44.

The inversion cage 50 is illustrated generally in FIG. 12, where it willbe seen that a plurality of cage bars 52 are employed, oriented by cagebrackets 51, the same being rotated throughout the length of theinversion cage tracks 50 by some 90 degrees, particularly as illustratedin FIG. 13.

Another important structural factor relates to the construction of thesorter wheels 40, and more particularly the groove 43 which may beprovided therein, particularly as illustrated in FIG. 4. It is importantthat the pick up points 47, which are the furthest upstream portion ofthe pick up walls 46 (see FIG. 3) be proportioned to complimentarilyrelate to the groove 43 in the outer face of the sorter wheel 40, butnotvbe in direct contact therewith as such contact would producefriction wear, and a roughening of the surface of the sorter wheel 40.

The delivery of the caps in partially oriented fashion to the sorterfeed tube 22 is shown in broad outline in FIG. 2. There it will be seenthat preliminarily the circulating parts, which are shown there ascirculating counter-clockwise, are delivered and first contacted by afixed separator 35. The purpose of the fixed separator 35 is topreliminarily engage in plow-like fashion those caps C which are rapidlycirculating atop the rotary cone 24 and which are more than one cap inheight. The purpose in function is one of rough orientation, but to workin cooperation with the pneumatic separator 30 to the end that the capsC which are delivered to the sorter tube pick up 25 are flat, againstthe periphery of the rotary cone 24. In this connection it should benoted that there is a friction band 36 around the periphery of therotary cone 24, and that a pick up groove 38 is provided in such band.As will be described hereinafter in connection with FIGS. 5 through 11inclusive, the friction band 36 assists in accelerating the caps C sothat they travel at the approximate speed for entry into the sorter tubepick up 25 as the circumferential speed of the rotary cone 24. The innerportion of the rotary cone 24, particularly in food or dairy-typeoperations such as associated with the operation of the commercialembodiment of the feeder 10 as illustrated is made of a sheet ofstainless steel. Understandably the frictional engagement between thestainless steel and the caps C is minimal, but alternatively thisreduces the noise level of the machine, and more particularly inhibitsscuffing, scarring, and marring of the caps prior to the time they aredelivered for printing in the printer 11.

After the parts are first roughly reduced to single height by means ofthe fixed separator 35, they then pass the pneumatic separator 30 whichcontains a plurality of blow ports 32 fed by a manifold 31 at theinterior portion of the pneumatic separator 30, all as illustrated ingreater details in FIGS. 14-16. It will be noted that the pneumaticseparator 30 is crescent shaped in configuration, terminating abruptlyat its lower end portion 33 which is immediately adjacent the entryportion of the sorter tube pick up 25. The blow ports 32 are provided atthe lower portion of the pneumatic separator 30, the same providing adynamic assist to removing caps which are stacked more than one highpassing around the periphery of the rotary cone member 24 atop thefriction band 36.

The function of the sorter tube pick up 25, and more particularly itsstructural elements, are best illustrated in the sequential views of theorientation of a cap C shown in FIGS. 5-11 inclusive. There it will beseen that initially, as shown in FIG. 5, the cap C may be right side upor upside down atop the friction band 36 of the rotary cone 24. The capC is immediately entrapped in the closed formation defined by the sortertube pick up 25, and which is supported by means of the bracket 26 tothe side wall 12 of the rotary feeder 15. As the cap C proceedsdownstream, as shown in FIG. 6, it will be seen that the bracket thenengages and continues to support the inner tube wall 27, which is closedat its end by the tubing member or tube top 29. Then as shown in FIG. 7,somewhat further downstream, the formation of an outer tube wall 28begins. At the last point of the outer tube wall 28, it is provided witha pick up point 39 which is positioned to rest beneath the upper surfaceof the friction band 36, and within the pick up groove 38 of thefriction band 36. In this fashion the cap C is lifted gently as itproceeds rapidly into the sorter tube pick up 25, and this relationshipsignificantly reduces any tendency to become jammed at the inlet portionof the sorter tube pick up 25.

Thereafter as illustrated in FIG. 8, the size of the bracket 26 issomewhat reduced, and the configuration of the sorter tube 25 becomesmore and more of a vertical tubular configuration still closed at itstop by the top member 29, and entrappingly engaging the cap C by meansof the opposed inner tube wall and outer tube wall 28. Ultimately, asshown in FIG. 11, the cap C is vertically oriented and then proceedsinto the sorter feed tube 22 for delivery to the power sorter 20.

As indicated above, while the commercial embodiment shown employs arotary cone type feeder 15, it has been pointed out that vibratory bowlfeeders may also deliver parts to the power sorter 20. Also while closedcell neoprene wheel for the power sorter, such as the sorter wheels 40illustrated, are desirably made of neoprene, other materials may beemployed, and even open cell materials may be used in certain situationswhere softer parts such as the caps C are used.

It will also be appreciated that while illustrated the feeder andorienter is employed utilizing circular milk bottle caps, rectangularshapes may also be similarly fed and oriented. Those parts which can beoriented are primarily the ones being relatively shallow, and havingrelatively uniform side walls, albeit the side walls may not be circularin configuration, but rather a regular rectilinear, circular, orcombination configuration of these two.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in full here, there is no intention to thereby limit theinvention to the details of such embodiments. On the contrary, theintention is to cover all modifications, alternatives, embodiments,usages and equivalents of a shallow cup feeder and orienter as fallwithin the spirit and scope of the invention, specification and theappended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. In a shallow cup feeder and orienter comprising,in combination,

a feeder for drivingly circulating shallow cups having side wall portionand a central rotary cone,

pickup means operatively connected to the feeder for engaging singleparts and orienting the parts along one axis of the part, includingsequentially a curvilinear plow one part width above the cone, apneumatic wiper downstream of the plow having centrally directed jetmeans one part width above the cone,

a power sorter for receiving said single axis oriented parts havingopposed counter rotating power driven rollers having resilient outerwalls to receive and tangentially release said parts in a directiondiverted from their received pathway diverted in the direction of theside wall portions of said cups,

opposed pickup walls tangential with the rollers downstream of theircommon diameter,

sorter walls opposed to the pickup walls meeting at a point midwaybetween the pickup walls and defining with the pickup walls a diverging,pair of discharge tubes the improvement comprising,

a groove centrally disposed in each of said rollers,

and, I projections on the pickup walls at their point of tangency withthe rollers and substantially complementary with the grooves, wherebythe diversion of the cups from the rollers is positively directed at thetangen point.

2. in the shallow cup feeder and orienter of claim 1,

means for adjusting the spaced relationship of the pickup walls, wherebythe tubular discharge portion of the power sorter can be adjusted forvarying sidewall dimensions of the cups.

3. In the shallow cup feeder and orienter of claim 1,

a centrally positioned hopper positioned above the rotary cone portion,and,

a plurality of spiders supporting the centrally located hopperpositioned above the rotary cone member, whereby a relatively constantlevel of the caps inside the feeder and above the rotary cone portionare provided.

4. In a shallow cup feeder and orienter comprising,

in combination,

a feeder for drivingly circulating shallow cups having side wall portionand a central rotary cone, pickup means operatively connected to thefeeder for engaging single parts and orienting the parts along one axisof the part, air jet means along said side wall one part thickness abovethe adjacent cone with the air jet disposed substantially radiallyinward, a power sorter for receiving said single axis oriented partshaving opposed counter rotating power driven rollers having resilientouter walls to receive and tangentially release said parts in adirection diverted from their received pathway diverted in the directionof the side wall portions of said cups,

opposed pickup walls tangential with the rollers downstream of theircommon diameter,

sorter walls opposed to the pickup walls meeting at a point midwaybetween the pickup walls and defining with the pickup walls a divergingpair of discharge tubes the impovement comprising,

a sorter wall mount,

said sorter walls extending upwardling from said sorter wall mount,

and means for adjustably positioning said sorter wall mount on the powerwall sorter whereby saidmount is moved forwardly and rearwardly withregard to the pickup wall thereby adjusting the track provided therebetween.

5. In the shallow cup feeder and orienter of claim 4,

a groove centrally disposed in each of said rollers,

and, projections on the pickup walls at their point of tan gency withthe rollers and substantially complimentary with the grooves, wherebythe diversion of the cups from the rollers is positively directed at thetangent point.

6. In the shallow cup feeder and orienter of claim 4,

means for adjusting the spaced relationship of the pickup walls, wherebythe tubular discharge portion of the power sorter can be adjusted forvarying sidewall dimensions of the cups.

7. In the shallow cup feeder and orienter of claim 4,

a centrally positioned hopper positioned above the rotary cone portion,and,

a plurality of spiders supporting the centrally located hopperpositioned above the rotary cone member,

a power sorter for receiving said single axis oriented parts havingopposed counter rotating power driven rollers having resilient outerwalls to receive and tangentially release said parts in a directiondiverted from their received pathway diverted in the direction of theside wall portions of said cups,

opposed pickup walls tangential with the rollers downstream of theircommon diameter,

sorter walls opposed to the pickup walls meeting at a point midwaybetween the pickup walls and defining with the pickup walls a divergingpair of discharge tubes the improvement comprising,

a centrally oriented hopper,

a plurality of spiders extending outwardly from the hopper and above therotary cone portion of the feeder,

whereby the level of the cups being fed within the feeder is maintainedin accordance with the spaced relationship between the spider and therotary cone.

1. In a shallow cup feeder and orienter comprising, in combination, afeeder for drivingly circulating shallow cups having side wall portionand a central rotary cone, pickup means operatively connected to thefeeder for engaging single parts and orienting the parts along one axisof the part, including sequentially a curvilinear plow one part widthabove the cone, a pneumatic wiper downstream of the plow havingcentrally directed jet means one part width above the cone, a powersorter for receiving said single axis oriented parts having opposedcounter rotating power driven rollers having resilient outer walls toreceive and tangentially release said parts in a direction diverted fromtheir received pathway diverted in the direction of the side wallportions of said cups, opposed pickup walls tangential with the rollersdownstream of their common diameter, sorter walls opposed to the pickupwalls meeting at a point midway between the pickup walls and definingwith the pickup walls a diverging pair of discharge tubes theimprovement comprising, a groove centrally disposed in each of saidrollers, and, projections on the pickup walls at their point of tangencywith the rollers and substantially complementary with the grooves,whereby the diversion of the cups from the rollers is positivelydirected at the tangen point.
 2. In the shallow cup feeder and orienterof claim 1, means for adjusting the spaced relationship of the pickupwalls, whereby the tubular discharge portion of the power sorter can beadjusted for varying sidewall dimensions of the cups.
 3. In the shallowcup feeder and orienter of claim 1, a centrally positioned hopperpositioned above the rotary cone portion, and, a plurality of spiderssupporting the centrally located hopper positioned above the rotary conemember, whereby a relatively constant level of the caps inside thefeeder and above the rotary cone portion are provided.
 4. In a shallowcup feeder and orienter comprising, in combination, a feeder fordrivingly circulating shallow cups having side wall portion and acentral rotary cone, pickup means operatively connected to the feederfor engaging single parts and orienting the parts along one axis of thepart, air jet means along said side wall one part thickness above theadjacent cone with the air jet disposed substantially radially inward, apower sorter for receiving said single axis oriented parts havingopposed counter rotating power driven rollers having resilient outerwalls tO receive and tangentially release said parts in a directiondiverted from their received pathway diverted in the direction of theside wall portions of said cups, opposed pickup walls tangential withthe rollers downstream of their common diameter, sorter walls opposed tothe pickup walls meeting at a point midway between the pickup walls anddefining with the pickup walls a diverging pair of discharge tubes theimpovement comprising, a sorter wall mount, said sorter walls extendingupwardling from said sorter wall mount, and means for adjustablypositioning said sorter wall mount on the power wall sorter whereby saidmount is moved forwardly and rearwardly with regard to the pickup wallthereby adjusting the track provided there between.
 5. In the shallowcup feeder and orienter of claim 4, a groove centrally disposed in eachof said rollers, and, projections on the pickup walls at their point oftangency with the rollers and substantially complimentary with thegrooves, whereby the diversion of the cups from the rollers ispositively directed at the tangent point.
 6. In the shallow cup feederand orienter of claim 4, means for adjusting the spaced relationship ofthe pickup walls, whereby the tubular discharge portion of the powersorter can be adjusted for varying sidewall dimensions of the cups. 7.In the shallow cup feeder and orienter of claim 4, a centrallypositioned hopper positioned above the rotary cone portion, and, aplurality of spiders supporting the centrally located hopper positionedabove the rotary cone member, whereby a relatively constant level of thecaps inside the feeder and above the rotary cone portion are provided.8. In a shallow cup feeder and orienter comprising, in combination, afeeder for drivingly circulating shallow cups having side wall portion,pickup means operatively connected to the feeder for engaging singleparts and orienting the parts and orienting the parts along one axis ofthe part, a power sorter for receiving said single axis oriented partshaving opposed counter rotating power driven rollers having resilientouter walls to receive and tangentially release said parts in adirection diverted from their received pathway diverted in the directionof the side wall portions of said cups, opposed pickup walls tangentialwith the rollers downstream of their common diameter, sorter wallsopposed to the pickup walls meeting at a point midway between the pickupwalls and defining with the pickup walls a diverging pair of dischargetubes the improvement comprising, a centrally oriented hopper, aplurality of spiders extending outwardly from the hopper and above therotary cone portion of the feeder, whereby the level of the cups beingfed within the feeder is maintained in accordance with the spacedrelationship between the spider and the rotary cone.